From the Liveblog of
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Activists hold mass pot protest outside Knesset
Hundreds of Israelis gather on a grassy hill overlooking the Knesset on Thursday to smoke marijuana in an act of communal defiance of current laws.
Sitting in small groups on mats shaded by trees in the Rose Garden just across from the Knesset, participants light up as the clock struck 4:20 p.m. for the local version of the traditional worldwide April 20 pro-marijuana events, known as “420” rallies.
In the afternoon, revelers are mostly men in their early 20s but organizers expect thousands more people to join the event, set to continue till the early hours of Friday.
Police do not intervene.
Last month, the government approved a plan partially decriminalizing marijuana use in public in favor of fines and treatment, but cannabis advocates are calling for full legalization.
— AFP
The Times of Israel Community.